Chapter 374: Hooked (Three-in-One)

Rongrong received orders from the Princess, then led a group, carrying Master Ruan Tian's pass, toward Ghost Wushan.

Yet the maids around the Princess all knew well how to execute the Princess's orders.

Rongrong did not truly go to "question" Master Ruan Tian, nor did she go directly to Ghost Wushan.

She first led her people to Dongzha Village and the other villages where traces of the Dragon Transformation Method remained.

Several days had already passed, and some traces had been destroyed.

Rongrong inspected everything with extraordinary meticulousness.

In this regard, her ability surpassed Gao Wanli's.

If all traces had remained undestroyed, Rongrong likely would have discovered certain details were forged.

But now, all traces had become "plausible yet suspicious."

This made Rongrong feel that the two people, especially the one who cultivated the Dragon Transformation Method, very likely had indeed gone to Ghost Wushan afterward.

Thus, she led her team again, entering Ghost Wushan discreetly.

Although they held the "pass" issued by Master Ruan Tian, they were completely unfamiliar with Ghost Wushan.

They entered the mountain from another village named "Datianpo."

Her subordinates paid ten taels of silver to hire a bold young man from the village willing to serve as their guide.

This Datianpo Village had fertile land surrounding it, and every household seemed to live very prosperously.

More than half the families in the village lived in bright, spacious houses with green bricks and red tiles.

Dozens of plow oxen were in the fields.

The children running around playing in the village wore clothes that were still relatively intact.

Unlike the ragged rags worn by mischievous children in ordinary villages.

The young man who came to serve as guide was named "Ah Chong"; he was neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin.

His face always wore a smile of harmony, making anyone who saw it unable to help but feel a degree of closeness.

Besides Rongrong, several female cultivators were in the team.

Female cultivators rarely included anyone as bizarre as Ji Shuangqiu.

How many girls would be willing to cultivate themselves into such iron-tower-like giants?

Therefore, female cultivators often possessed graceful figures and beautiful faces.

Plus, amidst the adoration of the crowd, Rongrong was like a Princess... Since Ah Chong joined the team, he involuntarily kept stealing glances at the girls in the team.

Rongrong and the others paid this no mind.

It was merely a youth admiring beauty; the rough village girls he usually saw were nothing compared to seeing them, which to him was like seeing immortals.

However, he could only look; not a single woman in the team would take a fancy to him.

Ah Chong was also very shy; sometimes when he was caught stealing glances, his face would flush red and he would quickly avert his gaze.

To ease the awkwardness, Ah Chong would hurriedly bring up a topic: "Our village's land is fertile; as long as we are diligent, the land can feed us, so we have no worries about food or drink.

However, the people in our village, just like me, when there is nothing to do, serve as guides for those merchants.

They enter the mountain to collect goods; if we do not guide them, not only will they easily get lost, but the villages inside the mountain will not recognize them; they will not only refuse to sell to them, but might even beat and kill them, skinning and butchering them like pigs..."

Following beside him was the team's second-in-command, a sixth-rank divine cultivator named "Li Shu."

Hearing this, Li Shu frowned: "They also eat people?"

Ah Chong smiled: "Is this the first time you gentlemen have come to Ghost Wushan?"

Li Shu nodded.

The pass they held indeed belonged to the Xiang Wang Fu.

But under normal circumstances, this pass was not kept inside the Wang Fu; instead, it was rented out.

Naturally, there were those who sold their lives, taking the pass to Ghost Wushan to do business.

Afterwards, those who sold their lives likely received only scraps, while the real bulk went to the Xiang Wang Fu and other great nobles.

This time, because they came to Zancheng, the Princess brought the pass.

But the people in the Wang Fu indeed had never entered Ghost Wushan.

Ah Chong then spoke in a low voice: "You gentlemen must be extremely careful; the villages in the mountain are vastly different from those outside.

The people in the villages are not evil spirits... yet they are equally fierce!"

Li Shu nodded; he had vaguely heard similar rumors before.

Once away from the Princess's side, Rongrong acted superior, deeming it beneath her to interact with commoners like Ah Chong, leaving all team affairs for Li Shu to handle.

This team possessed considerable strength and secretly held a pass, allowing them to roam freely outside Guanghuo Street.

But they were indeed too unfamiliar with Zancheng and Ghost Wushan.

Especially Ghost Wushan.

Ah Chong's lies were actually very easy to expose.

Because since Xu Yuan established an office at Qihetai Town, the villages in the mountain no longer received any merchants.

All their mountain goods were traded through Wangxiang Village and the office.

In exchange for various daily necessities.

Before the New Year, no merchants entered Ghost Wushan anymore.

These towns and villages at the foot of Ghost Wushan... were no good people.

Take Qihetai Town, for instance; those who could stay in the town possessed some "methods."

Qihetai Town was actually quite good, because it bordered the official road, offering many livelihoods to sustain life.

But villages like Datianpo, relying solely on farming... struggling to make ends meet, how could they build houses or buy oxen?

They naturally had other "livelihoods."

A-Chong led the squad into the mountain, followed a long mountain ravine for seven or eight li, then crossed a mountain ridge.

A small river flowed beneath the ridge.

The river water was clear, the sound of the water murmuring.

A-Chong, however, made a gesture to everyone, signaling caution.

But they had already alerted the evil spirits in the river.

Suddenly, in what had been a calm little river, water hyacinths began bobbing up one after another.

Round, smooth, a pale green hue, hundreds and thousands, densely packed in the river water.

Then suddenly they all flipped over.

Where were the water gourds? They were actually the heads of ghost infants!

Their eyes were cold and dark red, fangs protruding beyond their lips, looking up at everyone on the ridge, making one's hair stand on end!

A-Chong led everyone, carefully detouring around from the side.

Above the ridge, a sparrow flew past with flapping wings, though its movements were somewhat stiff.

But A-Chong and Li Shu below did not notice.

This corpse sparrow rushed quickly to the vicinity of Guanghuo Street.

Chirping, it reported its discovery to Tian Jing.

This group of corpse sparrows is now Tian Jing's subordinates.

After they moved to Ghost Wushan, one of them kept looking for opportunities to persuade the Naga to return and take revenge!

After several attempts at contact, the entire group ended up defecting to Tian Jing.

The reason was simply that they were not considered powerful even in Little Yu Shan, and after arriving at Ghost Wushan, they were bullied everywhere.

They urgently needed to find a patron.

Seeing they were useful, Tian Jing employed a mix of kindness and intimidation, and the corpse sparrows obediently submitted.

Rong Rong's group, because they went to investigate Dongzha Village, entered the mountain later than Xu Yuan.

Tian Jing and Xu Yuan were near Guanghuo Street, close to Gaojia Village.

Yesterday, after Xu Yuan entered the mountain and communicated with Tian Jing, Tian Jing informed My Lord: "I have built a treehouse for My Lord, for My Lord to rest and lodge when entering the mountain in the future."

Xu Yuan did not pay much attention at the time and followed along.

The location of the treehouse was between Gaojia Village and Guanghuo Street.

In the future, when Xu Yuan comes to Guanghuo Street to find them, he can stay here.

Gaojia Village was, after all, still a bit far.

Afterwards, Xu Yuan saw this so-called "treehouse," or perhaps it should be called: a Cloud Palace atop the trees!

You, Tian Jing, with such thick eyebrows and big eyes, actually know how to flatter too.

After Tian Jing fused with the root, he had been very uneasy.

Worried that My Lord would see him again and first strike down his "evil spirit" head with a sword.

This was not Tian Jing's groundless worry; in the Three Yamen of Strange Affairs, the vast majority of people, upon seeing Tian Jing's current form, would act without hesitation to kill him.

Thus, Tian Jing racked his brains and came up with this trick.

He used his newly acquired ability to transform several hundred-year-old trees into a natural palace of trees.

In scale, it was of course far inferior to the palaces of the Huang Ming.

But it still had over ten rooms.

And he also asked the Naga for a scale to hang outside the main gate.

No matter when, the evil spirits in the mountains passing by here would not climb up to harass.

Unless the Naga disappeared from Ghost Wushan.

In the future, when Xu Yuan enters the mountain and stays here at night, isn't that more comfortable than the mountain runners' shacks and "Goddess Niches" and the like?

The two were drinking tea in the Cloud Palace atop the trees—Tian Jing had specifically obtained some things he considered "elegant" from Guanghuo Street to place here for My Lord.

Such as tribute teas from the Huang Ming.

On Guanghuo Street, this tribute tea was hard currency.

Because to ask Master Ruan Tian for a favor, one must have this item.

But giving this item to My Lord was obviously because Tian Jing had not yet gauged My Lord's pulse.

You might as well give him silver directly.

Or perhaps... arrange a few beautiful female ghosts with red sleeves to add fragrance in the Cloud Palace atop the trees.

The corpse sparrows reported, and the two immediately set off.

A corpse sparrow led the way in the sky.

This group of corpse sparrows cooperated; part of them watched Rong Rong's side, constantly transmitting news to Tian Jing's side: where they had reached.

Xu Yuan saw one familiar face among this group of corpse sparrows.

It was the fellow who had determined that the Naga and the Ghost Wang Fei were a "heavenly match."

It was indignant, unable to understand how the Naga and its subordinates could collude with such a great villain as Xu Yuan?!

But it alone could not influence the big picture, and was driven by the other corpse sparrows, so it could only help along.

If it didn't work, it would likely be driven out by the group.

In Ghost Wushan, a lone corpse sparrow without a patron was probably just a mouthful of "mosquito meat."

Tian Jing found it interesting and said to My Lord on the road: "That village has a trade: they lure people from outside the mountain into the mountain, feed them to the evil spirits, and then come to collect the remaining treasures."

Xu Yuan also smiled: "One harbors evil intentions, the other plays the pig to eat the tiger; let us see who can outwit whom!"

Their speed was fast; two hours later, they arrived near that mountain ridge.

A dense cluster of ghost-baby heads floated up in the small river.

Xu Yuan immediately spotted the "ripe baby."

The ghost-baby had just flipped over, showing its face toward Tian Jing and Xu Yuan, then immediately dove back down without hesitation, sinking into the riverbed.

The ghost-babies' sparse fetal hairs were tangled together, forming a single mass.

While other ghost-babies were lifting their heads, this one suddenly plunged into the river.

The formation fell apart.

Xu Yuan smiled, let go of the beast-tendon rope, and wrapped it around the ghost-baby, lifting it up.

"Wuwa—, wuwa—"

The ghost-baby burst into loud crying.

Their cries were among their most potent supernatural tricks.

The wailing pierced the soul like a blade.

But this time, the ghost-babies were truly crying…

The beast-tendon rope pulled it out of the water, then pulled up a string of ghost-babies.

All the ghost-babies began crying loudly.

And all of them were genuinely crying.

Most were eighth-tier; the first one Xu Yuan pulled out had risen to seventh-tier recently, having gained experience from "traveling far and wide."

It was the leader of this river's ghost-babies.

Though the other ghost-babies didn't know Xu Yuan, they all clearly sensed that the beast-tendon rope was fifth-tier.

Unable to fight, unable to escape, all they could do was cry.

The ghost-baby leader was brought before Master Xu.

It cried real tears pouring out like water from two spouts attached to its eyes.

Xu Yuan pointed at Tian Jing: "You'll follow him from now on."

"Otherwise, I'll crack open your little skull."

"Understood?"

The ghost-baby leader nodded frantically, even leaving afterimages.

Its huge head and thin neck made one fear it might snap its own neck.

Only then did Xu Yuan release his grip, tossing them all back into the river.

Tian Jing noted this river—he would return after this mission to fully subdue the ghost-babies.

The great evils along Guanghuo Street paid little heed to other evils in the mountains.

But the dragon and Xu Yuan needed these "hounds."

The Corpse Sparrows controlled the sky; the ghost-babies controlled the rivers.

To gather all intelligence within the mountains.

…

A Chong led Rong Rong's group around several more evil territories.

He acted exactly like a professional "guide."

In conversation with Li Shu, he gradually felt he had earned these people's trust.

So A Chong said: "We're close. I'll take you to Yaquan Village and introduce you to the village's mountain-runner—he'll guide you to Guanghuo Street."

"Good," Li Shu replied.

After walking several more li, they passed through a grove of trees.

Ahead rose a tall, pitch-black cliff.

Beneath the cliff, spring water had pooled into a small pond.

A small village, enclosed by wooden fences, appeared before them.

A Chong smiled: "We're here."

The village had about a dozen households; the old mountain-runner was a middle-aged man with a limp and a scarred face.

He was extremely wary of outsiders, but with A Chong's recommendation, he agreed to help—on one condition: two hundred taels of silver, all exchanged for salt and ironware.

A Chong grinned and offered to help, but demanded a service fee.

Li Shu gave him an extra ten taels, then handed over the two hundred taels, instructing him to buy salt and ironware the next day and deliver them to the village.

But the old mountain-runner frowned coldly: "I won't do anything until I have the goods."

A Chong looked troubled: "If I leave now, I won't be able to bring the goods back until tomorrow."

Li Shu glanced at Rong Rong: "Then we'll have to stay in the village overnight."

Rong Rong reluctantly agreed.

A Chong took the silver and left immediately, promising to return by noon at the latest.

The old mountain-runner spoke coldly again: "If you want to stay overnight in the village, you pay extra."

Li Shu didn't care about such small sums and agreed readily.

The villagers all looked peculiar, and their houses were crudely built, some crooked and lopsided.

As dusk fell, the village gate was shut.

Li Shu arranged for everyone to settle in.

In the center of the village stood a large house—the best in the village.

Li Shu had planned to put Rong Rong there for the night, but the old mountain-runner refused without hesitation: "This house never hosts outsiders."

"We'll pay more…"

"No room for negotiation!"

Li Shu could only shake his head and give up.

After everyone was settled separately, Li Shu sternly warned them all: "Do not cause trouble tonight!"

But after dark, a scent of wine and meat drifted from that large house.

Then the men of the village slipped in, three or two at a time.

Sounds of revelry and laughter came in waves from inside.

In the other houses not far from the large house, Li Shu's subordinates were lodged.

Several of them leaned in to listen, and within moments understood: this was gambling.

Among these people, there were already a few who liked to gamble in their daily lives.

Listening and listening, they felt an itch in their hands, and then an itch in their hearts.

They tossed Li Shu's warning to the back of their minds and quietly slipped in as well.

Originally still somewhat wary, but after a few hands, with wins and losses, they let their guard down.

Just as they were having fun, suddenly the main door was kicked open.

Li Shu walked in with a grim face.

Seeing Li Shu, a few people shivered in fright, grabbed the silver money on the table, and tried to hide it behind someone.

But the moment their hands touched the silver, the villagers pinned them down.

Li Shu scanned the entire gambling den once, snorted coldly, approached several of his subordinates, and asked: "Open your dog eyes and look carefully at what you are gambling with!"

The few people suddenly felt a wave of dizziness; looking again at the silver money on the table, it had changed.

The silver was stained with fresh blood, and mixed within were several human hearts, human livers, and human lungs!

Immediately, they felt excruciating pain in their bodies; looking down, they realized they did not know when their chests had been slit open, some missing their hearts, some missing their lungs...

All of them were laid out on that table!

They were horrified and shocked. "What I just pulled out was clearly silver... how did I pull out these things!"

"Li Shu, save me..."

The few screamed and collapsed, blood gushing from their mouths.

The villagers around them instantly turned cold-faced like grim ghosts!

They stood upright, staring at them stiffly and eerily.

Not a trace of the breath of the living could be seen on their bodies.

Li Shu said coldly: "Revive my people, and I can let tonight's matter pass!"

"Gaga-ga..." A strange laughter came; the standing villagers moved to both sides like wooden carvings, revealing a passage.

The old mountain runner walked out from behind.

He had already transformed into a demonic spirit resembling a humanoid wild boar.

"Entered my den and still want to leave alive?" the demonic spirit sneered. "You come and gamble too; if you win, you leave; if you lose, like them, leave something of your body behind!"

Li Shu, with a grim face, pulled out Master Ruan Tian's ticket from his chest: "Blind your dog eyes!"

The demonic spirit stared in shock, glared at Li Shu with extreme unwillingness, and said: "Fine, I will let you go."

"But what those few lost to me must still belong to me!"

Li Shu roared: "Do you dare disobey the command of That One?"

The demonic spirit suddenly threw its head back, two curved-blade tusks drawing arcs in the air: "You did not produce the ticket before; even if That One came, there would be no fault to find with me!"

Li Shu shook his head and laughed angrily: "I intended to spare your life, but you seek your own death!"

Xu Yuan and Tian Jing watched from not far away.

During the day, they had seen Rongrong and the others follow A Chong into that foul-smelling cliff, into that huge wild boar cave.

Tian Jing said: "This demonic spirit's illusion art is formidable."

Xu Yuan nodded; even if Fu Chongjiu personally cast "Dragon Spits Mirage," he might not surpass this demonic spirit's methods.

Xu Yuan turned and walked away: "Go make preparations; we begin the operation tomorrow."

A Chong returned to the village yesterday evening and made an appointment with a few close friends to enter the mountains together today.

Those people spent lavishly; today must bring a great harvest!

As soon as dawn broke, they shouldered their backpacks and eagerly entered the mountains.

Moving swiftly on foot, they arrived before the wild boar cave in a little over an hour.

Inside the huge cave, it was pitch black and silent.

"Heh! They must all have entered the demonic spirit's belly."

"Be careful; when the Boar Lord is full and asleep, he dislikes being woken most; you must be very gentle and quiet." A Chong gave a warning.

Just as the few reached the cave entrance, suddenly A Chong let out a scream; looking down, he saw a blood-stained knife tip protruding from his chest!

The others were startled, but it was already too late.

Someone suddenly rushed out from the darkness, swung a long blade, and a human head flew high into the air...

Those few who lost their hearts and livers in last night's gambling bore the deepest hatred toward A Chong and struck with extra cruelty.

After the blade pierced A Chong's chest, it twisted several times, ensuring he died in agony.

Their hearts and livers were put back; the Rank Dan Xiu in the group treated them, and they managed to keep their lives, but the process was unbearably painful, and their cultivation level dropped.

Afterwards, Li Shu walked out with his hands behind his back; his nostrils flared and inhaled, and the souls of A Chong and the others were all drawn inside.

"Ignorant fools!" Li Shu offered an evaluation.

A Chong's soul was released and interrogated under strict scrutiny.

He never imagined these people were so ferocious!

Li Shu easily extracted the truth: A Chong had no idea how to get to Guanghuo Street.

But A Chong did know the way to the nearest mountain village, "Yueping Village."

Rong Rong frowned and said: "First, attend to the matter. Go to Yueping Village and find a mountain guide to lead us to Guanghuo Street."

Once we've completed the Princess's task, we'll return and wipe out that village!"

"Yes, Master!"

……

Xu Yuan and Tian Jing were now inside Yueping Village.

……

To reach Yueping Village from the Wild Boar Cave, one must pass through a stone forest.

In the stone forest, countless strange rocks stood upright, pointing straight toward the sky.

Twisting like living snakes, vines coiled around the stones.

The vines themselves were ink-green, adorned with peculiar scales-like patterns.

At their tips bloomed small, dark-yellow circular flowers, like countless snake eyes.

After interrogating A Chong's soul, Li Shu understood the situation here: "This territory belongs to a monstrous python spirit."

Everyone be cautious; do not provoke it."

After last night's experience, Li Shu immediately pulled out Master Ruan Tian's ticket and held it high above his head.

As the group entered the stone forest, they felt a chilling cold seep through their skin, drilling into their bone crevices.

After walking a short distance, someone suddenly cried out: "Look!"

Li Shu followed the man's finger and saw, deep within the stone forest, a giant python head, as tall as a man, crouched on the ground.

From the top of the python's head grew a ghost vine as thick as a thigh, covered in clusters of round yellow flowers!

Li Shu immediately aimed the ticket at it—waited a moment, but the monstrous python remained motionless.

He cautiously stepped forward to inspect it, surprised: "Dead?"

Rong Rong also stepped forward to look; the monstrous python was indeed dead, its massive body bearing signs of fierce battle.

Ahead in the stone forest, everything was in chaos—many strange rocks had been shattered outright.

The subordinates merely murmured in wonder, but after careful inspection, Li Shu and Rong Rong exchanged solemn glances.

They stepped aside from their subordinates and whispered: "What's your opinion, Miss?"

"If you've already figured it out, why test me?"

Li Shu said: "I'm not certain, but certain traces… resemble the Dragon Transformation Art."

Rong Rong's eyes flickered with excitement: "This monstrous python is of dragon lineage. The one who killed this spirit likely did so to consume its essence for cultivation."

Open up the corpse of this monstrous python—check if anything is missing, and we'll know for sure!"

(End of Chapter)